Jacob Barley (E2)
Jacob Barley, better known as Jake, is the former protagonist in KeepOnKeepingOn's Walking Dead: Edition Two, as well as the protagonist of the Edition Two: Feedback webisode series. He serves as the main protagonist of the first arc of the series. He is the leader of a small group consisting of him and his friends, before he joins up with Trace Oxford's group. Jake is the best friend of Ethan Langer and was an amateur writer prior to the undead outbreak. After the group reaches Westchester Manor, Jake becomes the overall leader of the group once more after Walter's death. He assumes this position up until his own death. Personality Jake is quiet and level-headed, often assessing every situation he's involved in before taking action. He is considerate of his friends and fellow survivors, and isn't hesitant to kill if he needs to. Most often appearing neutral or solemn, Jake is at his best around his best friends, where he is incredibly kind and open. As the series progresses, Jake becomes more hardened after the losses of several of his close friends. The fate of his own family remains unknown even today and this thought haunts him. He tries to repress any and all bad thoughts because he believes he isn't strong enough to face the past, and worries he'll get himself killed if he doesn't move forward. The webisode series Edition Two: Feedback centers around Jake at the start of the outbreak, which shows him as a more self-loathing, reserved, and hesitant individual. He requires a motivational push from his friends, but as time goes on, he eventually takes the helm as the leader of his group. Inspiration "Can't really say much about inspiration. He's me; changed last name, but yeah. He's me. I chose Austin Abrams for the actor cause I've always thought I look like him a little. Or, at least, he looks like me if I wasn't an ugly fucker. Self-insert stories tend to suck serious fucking dick, and are very cliche. So, I won't be ashamed in saying that, yes, putting myself into this story was stupid and cliche. I just wanted to because I wanted to revamp the original piece of shit and combine it with my other story that is very near and dear to my heart, Alone And Forsaken. As a result, the plot was expanded, and I think I'm actually able to tell a much better story this way." Killed Victims This list shows the victims Jacob has killed: *Irwin *Carter *Rolland (Before Reanimation) *Johnathan Watters (Before Reanimation) *Patrick Watters *Ashley Ridley (Zombified) *George *Himself (Indirectly Caused) *One unnamed security guard. *Several unnamed Woodbury soldiers. *Numerous counts of zombies. Death Killed By *Himself (Indirectly Caused) *Brian Blake Jake has a panic attack on the watchtower after witnessing the manor fall to the flames. As the remainder of the Woodbury army storms the courtyard, Jake stops shooting and begins to panic. Ethan tries to comfort him, telling him they are in it together and that he will stay with him until the end. However, while the two are distracted, Jake is shot in the head by the Governor. Appearances Trivia *Jacob is based on series creator KeepOnKeepingOn. **However, for privacy reasons, his last name was changed. *Jacob is the 21st main character to die, and the first protagonist in the story to die. **His death was planned halfway through Season 3. **Jacob's death was bounced around constantly during the planning of Season 3, Season 4, and Season 5, with the creator debating if it was something he wanted to go through with. ***"I'm not really a fan of self-inserts. Even when I put myself into stories, it's mostly just for a somewhat serious yet satirical take on the self-insert category. When I considered killing my insert off, it was mainly to say, "Ha! I have the gall to kill myself!", when in reality it was also to shock the audience and develop the story. I figured my time was up, and I didn't want to drag myself out longer than I needed to. I died to an emotional breakdown, proving that, as much as some people would not want to admit it, Jake was a weaker character, as I consider myself a weak person. He was forced into leadership positions he did not want and could not handle the world around him and the fact that he was getting almost no support from his best friend. When I conceived the whole death, I also wanted the series to build up the idea in the readers' heads that, "Hm, Jake is kind of weak, Ethan just came back, maybe Ethan will die in this landmark episode to give Jake development?" I did just that all the way up until the end, to the point where both of them lower their guards, and Ethan says, "I'll never leave you. We're together until the end.", and then Jake is the one to get shot. It was a 180-degree-turn that I bet very few people expected. There will be some upcoming story arcs, however, that I will be sad I won't be able to participate in. However, for the story, for the surprise, and for the benefit of everything and everyone, I... committed suicide. In a way. XD" ***Ethan dying was briefly considered before the creator returned to the initial idea that Jacob will die. *The creator confirmed Jacob's family is dead. **His father was confirmed to have been killed by bandits in the second episode, and his mother died of unknown causes. *Jake is considered a fan favorite character. **This is still true, even postmortem, as he also took first place in the first community "Hurt And Heal" event for Edition Two. Category:Real Life Character Category:Survivors Category:Main Characters (E2) Category:Characters (E2) Category:Season 1 Characters (E2) Category:Season 2 Characters (E2) Category:Season 3 Characters (E2) Category:Season 4 Characters (E2) Category:Season 5 Characters (E2) Category:Westchester Manor Survivors (E2) Category:The Colony Survivors (E2) Category:Campground Survivors (E2) Category:KeepOnKeepingOn's Walking Dead: Edition Two Category:Protagonists Category:Protagonists (E2)